Decoy anchor



March 3, 1953 T. s. TOAL 2,630,093

DECOY ANCHOR Filed April 30, 1951 V N Znyam/m Patented Mar. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,630,093 nEcor ANCHOR Thomas S. Toal, McFarland, Wis.

Application April 30, 1951, Serial No. 223,700

4 Claims. I

This invention relates to a decoy anchor for use by duck hunters and the like in setting out artificial duck decoys.

In an important aspect, the invention aims to provide an article of manufacture of this character which may be readily produced in quantities at a minimum of cost and which may be easily carried in the pocket of the hunters coat to be quickly attached to the decoy when the latter has been floated into position and which thereupon will act as an anchor for the decoy, after a suitable length of line, proportionate to the depth of the water, has been unreeled from the article body and then snubbed thereto to prevent further accidental unreeling, a sufficient length of line being commonly allowed for permitting some movement of the decoy on the surface of the water under the influence of wind and wave, to enhance the realistic effect.

These and other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, taken together with the accompanying drawings, of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, and in which drawings- Figure 1 shows an anchor embodying the present invention in perspective and with a line Wound thereon and snubbed thereto;

Figure 2, is a perspective view similar to Fig. 1 with the line removed;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the article shown in Fig. 2, somewhat enlarged;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the article shown in Fig. 3;

Figure 5 is a somewhat schematic view illustrating the article in use and showing two different positions which it may take; and

Figure 6 is a vertical longitudinal section, centrally of the article, showing the line wound thereon and snubbed thereto, this view showing also the manner of attachment of the line to the article body.

Referring in detail to the illustrative construction shown in the drawings, the article body portion I I is advantageously made of a metal of suitable weight stiffness and corrosion-resistant properties, such as a lead alloy, and is desirably of a size to be dropped readily into the coat pocket of the hunter, to be so carried when not in use, while at the same time being sufficiently heavy to serve its intended purpose as an anchor. When thearticle is made of an alloy high in lead, an overall length of say three inches has been found to provide a suitable size and weight.

The body is advantageously longer than it is wide and has somewhat flaring ends each of which terminate in a pair of furcations I2, at one end, and I3, at the other end. The body is desirably of reduced width at its middle portion and is thus somewhat X-shape. Between each pair of these furcations a recess I4 at one end and I5 at the other end is formed, these recesses being shown wider at their outer ends than at their inner ends for readily accommodating the flexible line I6 which is wound thereabout as clearly shown in the drawing.

The line I6 is preferably a light, flexible cord which is mildew resistant and will not rot or absorb water, and is preferably of a bluish-green color to be inconspicuous in the water. The body I I is provided with means for attaching the line thereto, and, for this purpose, may have a perforation I'I adjacent the inner end of the recess I4. As best seen in Fig. 6, the inner end of the line may be passed through this perforation and thus reeved onto the anchor and tied as by a knot I8.

Adjacent one end, the body I I is provided with a spring clamp I9 for securing or snubbing the line thereto when the article is not in use, as shown in Fig. 1, or when it is in use as shown in Fig. 5, with the line selectively unwound. for various lengths suitable to the depth of the water at the location occupied.

As shown in this instance, the spring clamp I9 is a piece of non-corrodible wire having a portion adjacent its inner end, as at 2B, embedded in the body I I when the latter is cast, and having its free end 2| resting resiliently against the body II as on one of the furcations I3. To enhance the effectiveness of this outer end as a clamp, it is desirably turned upon itself in a number of coils as shown in the drawing, and the body, at the place where the coils press thereagainst, may have a depression 22.

Thus when the line I6 has been wound or unwound to the length desired, a portion 23 of the line extending from the body i snapped under the clamp I9 and thus snugly held from accidental unwinding. To enhance the holding effect, the shank 24 of the clamp I9 is normally in close engagement with the article body, and, if desired, the body may be slightly grooved as at 25 to receive the shaft therealong.

At its free end, line I6 may have secured there to a spring clip 26 which has one end coiled upon itself as at 21 to form a loop through which. the extremity 28 of the line may be passed and then tied. The free end 29 of the clip 26 bears normally against the coiled end 21 but may be opened against its own resilience to be passed through an eye-stud 3B in an artificial duck decoy 3| or 32.

Either before or after attaching the line IE to the decoy, the line may be unwound from the body H, to the extent desired, which is usually just a little longer than is necessary to permit the body II to rest on the pond bottom with the decoy floating on the surface of the water. A length slightly greater than the depth of the water permits some desirable movement of the decoy. This commonly effects a sliding pull on the article as the decoy drifts around. When the suitable length has been determined, the intermediate portion of the line, such as 23, is snap-p ed under the clamp I9.

By reason of the desi n of the article, it will normally land on the bottom with the clamp IS on the uppermost side, and to enhance the desirable friction or anchor effect, the body II is here shown carrying, on its face opposite that on which the clamp I9 is located and projecting laterallytherefrom, a pair of. integral feet 33, at one end of the body,.ancl 34,. at its other end, there being one of the feet 33 extending from each of the furcations l2 of the body and one of the feet 36 extending from eachof the furcations I3- of the body. Feet 33 and E l-are sufficiently long to grip the bottom of the body of water upon which the anchor rests even. though most of. the line It is wound upon the anchor, as in shallow water.

As best seen in Fig. 5,.the decoy 3| hasits line I5 slack, permitting the. anchor to be. flat on all four feet 33 and 3 5, while the decoy 32 has been moved, by wind or. wave, or both, to. a sufficient.

extent to tauten the line l6, in its case,.and to lift the anchor so. that only its feet 33 are in-con-- tact with the pond bottom, and consequently it is.

desirable that the body have such. friction enhancing means at least at itsendopposite its end to which the-line l6 is snubbed as by the spring clamp E9. The elongation of the body and this effective securementv of the line at one end contributes to this result rather than having the anchor lifted bodily from the pondbottom upon tautening of the-line, since in that case the anchor would lose its friction effect.

The anchor so provided may be conveniently manipulated by the hunter even while wearing gloves or mittens.

The present device contributes to prolonging the lifeof the decoy, and particularly rubber decoys, by minimizing damage thereto which frequently occurs when an anchor is permanently attached to the decoy. By use of the present device the decoys may first be floated to position without the anchor, and then the anchor snapped thereto.

The invention is not intended to be limited to all of the details of construction and arrangement shown for purposes of exemplification, and such changes may be made as fall within the scope of the appended claims without departing therefrom.

The invention having been described, what is here claimed is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a small decoy anchor embodying a heavy elongated body having a V-shape recess at each end for winding a. flexible line thereon with the line received in the V-shape recesses, said recesses providing a pair of'furcations at each end of the body, a spring wire embedded atone end in the body adjacent one of said furcations and extending acro s the body to the region of an opposite furcation, the other end of said wire being. turned upon itself and pressing resiliently against the body to provide line snubbing means, and integral feet extending out of the plane: of said body and at each of the furcation thereof, said feet being substantially coterminous with thefurcations'respectively.

2; The structure of claim 1 wherein the body is grooved to receive the free end of the wire.

3. The structure of claim-1 whereinv the body is narrowed between the pairs of furcations so as to be of somewhat X-shape.

4, The structure of claim 1 whereinthe'wireis turned upon itself at its last mentioned endin a plurality of turns to receive the linev directly thereunder whereby the line comes offone corner of the anchor.

THOMAS S. TOAL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of recordin the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 368,427 Ryan Aug. 16, 1887 1,444,342 Godward Feb. 6, 1923 2,520,233 Buehl Aug. 29, 1950 2,555,815 Rawlins et a1. June 5, 1951 2,556,279 Johnson June 12, 1951 

